Mikey Moran - The Serial Entrepreneur

Braswell's Select Special Teas

2012-01-02T17:07:00.001-08:00

I just added the Braswell's Select Special Teas product line to Snazzy Gourmet. These teas are delicious! There are eight different flavors. All eight are all-natural and some are even organic! The flavors include Pomegranate Blackberry, Peach Pomegranate Green, Raspberry Red, Wildberry White, Vanilla Chai, Pomegranate Passion Red, Watermelon Raspberry White and Blueberry Black.

The teas are packaged in "Collectible Glassware." It reminds me of the POM drinks. I will usually re-use the glasses multiple times over a year.

I LOVE TEA!

Posted via email from Mikey Moran

Happy Birthday CurrySimple!

2012-01-02T12:58:00.001-08:00

January 2, 2006 at about 4 am CurrySimple.com was officially live.

Ten days prior the first container of product arrived in Atlanta from a month long journey from the other side of the world, Thailand. Admittedly, the amount of product was intimidating but there was no looking back at this point.

A day later I was spending Christmas in DC with friends and family. I was absolutely ecstatic that my business was about to launch. I was raving to my family about how I was going to change cooking Thai food at home in America. They though I was crazy of course. During our Christmas dinner I cooked up a chicken massaman curry that got their attention.

I will never forget the conversation with my mom during that dinner about the plans I had for the business. The first step was to make CurrySimple available nationwide by selling it online via my own e-commerce site. At that point I realized I needed to set up the website and get the business going immediately . I quickly decided I needed to cut my holiday trip home short. The next day I hopped in my car and drove 10 hours back to Atlanta.

I barely slept the following week working sixteen hour days and nights. I had to teach myself an e-commerce platform, build a website, take product photos and launch the website. This was my first so their was a strong learning curve understanding SSL certificates and credit card processing integrations. My goal was to launch the site on the 1st. It just sounded good. It was close. I opted out for a NYE celebration and worked through the night. At 4 am I successfully completed my first credit card transaction test. The site worked. It was not beautiful but it worked.

It was not until two weeks later when I received an order from a non-family member or friend. A woman in California decided to order the red curry sauce. I was grateful. Maybe shed a tear. It was a moment in my life I will never forget. My first real sale.

Often I forget what I have done. People still recognize me as "The Curry Guy" in grocery stores from the media blitz CurrySimple has received. It has been the greatest accomplishment of my life. CurrySimple became the FIRST packaged Thai curry sauce in a Whole Foods store. I still receive thousands of orders online yearly. Just weeks ago I got a report that we are CRUSHING IT in Earth Fare stores. Unfortunately, the weak dollar of the past few years knocked me down. I promise you it has not knocked me out.

See the full gallery on Posterous

I love you CurrySimple. You have taught me so much about international business, marketing, distribution, success, failure and have given me confidence to do anything I put my effort into.

The story continues...

Posted via email from Mikey Moran

New Years Resolutions & Goals - 2012

2012-01-01T11:04:00.001-08:00

I have spent the second half of 2011 planning for 2012 as I know it is going to be a big year for me. After my bad year of 2010 I knew 2011 would just be a year of recovery. Staying positive and learning from my mistakes will be the key to success this year.

THE LIST:

Fitness -

My greatest physical accomplishment this year will be to complete my first marathon. Before 2011 I never ran more than a mile since I was probably 18. I just was not into running. It was not until October 2011 where I made the commitment to my girlfriend to run a marathon she had already signed up for. Four months is the minimum amount of time needed to train for the 26.2 mile trek.

I don't want to stop at just one. This year will be comprised of many races and here is my list.

1 - The National Marathon to Finish Breast Cancer 2.12.12 Jacksonville Beach (Goal - Just finish!)

2 - Run for your Lives 3.3.12 Atlanta (Goal - Not get captured by Zombies!)

3 - Georgia Marathon 3.18.12 Atlanta (Goal - Finish in under 4 hours)

4 - Warrior Dash 5.20.12 Georgia (Goal - Top 50 for my age group)

5 - Atlanta Marathon 10.28.12 Atlanta (Goal - Finish 3 hours 45 min)

6 - Atlanta Half Marathon 10.22.12 Atlanta (Goal - Finish in 1 hour 45 min)

In addition to the above races I would also like to complete a Tough Mudder race somewhere in the US. The Georgia Tough Mudder race is the same week as my first marathon. This looks like a challenge and worth the travel.

I will continue to train at Bangkok Boxing twice a week. The Muay Thai kickboxing class is killer! It rounds out my training program. Saying that I will go to they gym and continue running weekly is a given as it is a necessity to finish these races with a respectable time.

Travel -

Bangkok - It is well known Bangkok is now like a second home to me. The place is so different and fun. This year I would like to take a train to Cambodia and Vietnam. I really want to see the countryside of the countries.

Cruise - Most people are 50/50 on cruises. You love them or hate them. I wouldn't know because I have never been on one. I have plans to take my girlfriend when her schedule permits. My schedule is a little more flexible. I would like to go to the Bahamas. It just sounds good!

Spontaneous Trip - Wake up in the morning and say... "I'm outta here" and just drive somewhere for a few days.

DC - My home town! I didn't make it back in 2011 but don't want to forget where I am from. My friends are all married with kids so it would be great to see everyone. It would be amazing to show my GF around. I can imagine us running through the city and near the museums.

Random other places I would like to visit in 2012 is San Fran, Chicago, Colombia (with Danny) and wherever else the road leaves.

Business & Projects -

CurrySimple - Things are good with CurrySimple. They would be great to get them distributed in another region in 2012. Actually it would be great! I will be more persistent this year with my marketing efforts and building up my customer base.

Snazzy Gourmet - I launched an online gourmet food store in 2008. It has been great! Profitable after the first few months and never looked back. I am looking to grow the business with more products, expanding the affiliate program, social media presence and our Daily Deals feature. I feel that by December of next years sales will DOUBLE.

Rolling Reubens - I am super excited to launch a food truck in Atlanta just after the first of the year. Rolling Reubens will be serving up NY style deli sandwiches in the streets of Atlanta.

Click LIke Media - Helping other businesses succeed is a passion of mine. I will continue to do so with my consulting company.

Food Truck Pages - Continue to grow a leading Food Truck directory on the web.

Eat Your Deal - Launching in January, Eat Your Deal will feature and focus on great deals related to food products.

The food truck business in Atlanta is going to take off! We have plans to launch a second and maybe third food truck in 2012.

Personal -

Blog - I really need to express my thoughs and projects more on this site. Facebook is great but I don't own it. This is mine and always will be.

Girlfriend - Don't mess this one up!

Posted via email from Mikey Moran

My Favorite Thai Dish with CurrySimple

2011-12-15T11:38:00.001-08:00

I am obviously a HUGE Thai food fan. Launching my own Thai food brand CurrySimple in 2006 can probably confirm that. People often ask me what are some of my own personal favorite recipes for my products. I have so many! One that stands out is what I often cook for larger dinner parties. I stir-fry the spicy Green Curry Sauce with fresh vegetables and serve it over a wheat rotini pasta. There is no doubt this is an absolute crowd pleaser. Is it easy to make? Just check out the video!

Posted via email from Mikey Moran

Launched - Food Truck Pages!

2011-11-30T16:01:00.001-08:00

I have had the idea for a while. I have a lot of ideas though. Sometimes I pull the trigger on them but most likely I do not in order to keep focus on bigger projects.

I put my spare time to good use for 10 days. In that time I built the first version of Food Truck Pages. The site is focused on being a place to leave Food Truck Reviews, get Food Truck News and be the web's best Food Truck Directory.

In the coming weeks I will be interviewing food truck owners about there entrepreneurial ventures. I hopefully will learn a lot from other owners and will be apply it to running my own food truck that will be launching in Atlanta soon. Adding food trucks to the directory will be a time consuming but necessary task. Once the word spreads about the site I am hoping for food truck owners to submit their own food truck.

If this project is successful I have already thought of some other industries to replicate the system. Let's see where this side project goes!

Posted via email from Mikey Moran

Half Marathon - I am Ready!

2011-11-23T17:17:00.001-08:00

Thanksgiving day has always been a time to spend with friends and family. It really kicks off that "Holiday Feeling." This year I am starting it off a little different...

For the past two months I have been seariously training to improve my distance running and endurance. I am going to put the training to the test Thursday at the 2011 Atlanta Half Marathon.

The course spans through downtown Atlanta and should be an adventure. My goal is to finish the course in 2 hours and 15 minutes. What do I really want to do? Finish it in under 2 hours!

I will do an update about what I have learned from my first race.

Posted via email from Mikey Moran

Food Truck Pages - Directory and Reviews

2011-11-23T10:12:00.001-08:00

My latest side project is to create the web's largest and most active Food Truck directory and review site. Food Truck Pages has begun development!

The food truck space is booming in the US. In the upcoming weeks I am launching my very own Food Truck in Atlanta called Rolling Reuben's along with a few brilliant biz partners. Food Truck Pages will compliment everything we do with food trucks. There NEEDS to be a solid directory like this on the internet. I will be interviewing 100 food truck owners across the US in the upcoming weeks for the launch of the site. The idea is to give exposure to the industry and the owners.

More info coming soon about htis project as I work out the dev.

Check out Food Truck Pages!

Posted via email from Mikey Moran

Best Wordpress Permalink Setting

2011-11-18T08:08:00.001-08:00

I have been working with a lot of new websites using the Wordpress platform. I can tell you it has come a long way in the past few years. Creating and setting up a beautiful website has never been easier. The Wordpress open source platform has grown considerably.

Most web hosts have a "quick install" button for Wordpress. This makes the initial setup so easy! It is a feature I love! One of the first settings I change when installing my theme is the "Permalinks" setting. This assigns the URL string and is very important for SEO. I generally use the same setting for every site.

The BEST PERMALINKS SETTING IS - /%postname%/

This will create shorter but defined URLs for your website. The Permalinks options are under the "Settings" tab within Wordpress. Choose "Custom Structure" and then paste the code above. Click "Save Changes" and you are all set!

Posted via email from Mikey Moran

CurrySimple - My First Love

2011-11-11T13:11:00.001-08:00

After a recent trip to a Whole Foods store I thought to myself... "What an adventure it has been!" The CurrySimple product development began in 2005 with an official online launch 1/02/2006. It has been by far the greatest learning experience of my life. A combination of launching my first "REAL" business that involved international trade, language barriers, 100 hour work weeks, and the absolute unknown.

In 2006 a "Ready to Serve" curry sauce was ahead of the curve. People would look at my Space Shuttle type packaging and say "What is this?" My family in DC had no idea what I was up to with this product. Although, it was the first business idea my sister liked (and she hated the previous 100 that I never launched) so that really did say something to me. She doesn't like anything! I put EVERYTHING I had into this. There was no turning back!

The first year launching the business was tough. The project was self-funded from my years of savings and help from Mr. Lim, my Thai business associate that passed away a few years back Thanksgiving day. (Lim I hope you can see how far the product has come from the heaven above). Three months after launch I was on the COVER of The Washington Post Food section. I was so sure I had something here. Then ABC News called for my first TV appearance. I landed a great article by John Kessler (Atlanta listens to this guy) of the AJC which really helped the product get recognition in Atlanta to kick-start it's success.

The following two years CurrySimple ROCKED! We landed shelf space in Whole Foods and other stores around the country. Life was good. I had a great conservative assistant, Tippy, that made sure my life didn't get out of control. I had worked so hard all my life for peanuts. It was amazing to feel a taste of success.

In 2009, the US Economy was on a serious landslide. This did NOT hurt the sales of CurrySimple. People would actually eat at home more and sales were great as they are today. The problem with the company was not the sales. It was more than that. Something totally out of my control. The steady decline of the US Dollar was really starting to squeeze margins. In 2006 the USD was worth 40 THB. In 2010 in was as low as 29 THB per USD. OUCH!!! (See chart below)

Then I started to feel the pain in 2010. A little late, but I restructured the company to become ultra efficient. A little late? Yes! The expenses for the business were SO HIGH and I didn't realize how much it would impact the bottom line when margins were squeezed. What an excellent experience despite the financial pain at the time. It has taught me the importance of running a "lean" business. I trimmed the product line and now focus on the core products. Things are great and I am looking for continued success in the future.

The experience I have had with CurrySimple has given me the confidence and knowledge to launch and be part of some other great projects as well as help other small business owners with theirs. Learn from your mistakes and experiences. Take what you have learned and apply it to your next venture. It does get easier. Don't worry about success or failure. You will never know if you can hit a home run if you don't go up to bat.

Posted via email from Mikey Moran

PRESS: How to get them talking!

2011-10-21T15:42:00.001-07:00

Since launching my first REAL company in 2006, I have been very successful in getting the press to talk about my products and ideas. Getting in the news will quickly help launch a product and make you an expert in your industry. I never went to college to learn how to get media exposure. As a matter of fact, I dropped out after a few easy classes. So did I hire an expensive PR firm? NOPE! Did I spend a penny on getting in The Washington Post, ABC, CBS, CNBS, FOX, Entrepreneur Magazine, AJC, Parade, INC and many more... NOPE! I am in contact daily with entrepreneurs and they are always looking for that secret tip that is going to get a local newspaper to write about them or TV station to call them and ask them to be on their show. I don't know if I really have the answer but I do have THREE IDEAS that could help get your business more media exposure.

Contact your local paper:

This sounds so simple but is often missed. Talking with business owners over the years I am always so surprised that they have never even attempted to contact their local paper. It doesn't have to be the largest paper in your area. Just start making connections with the writers that would cover your product. A SHORT email introduction usually works very well!

Be REALLY EXCITED:

No seriously! Think about it... If this is your product you better be the most excited person in the world about it. Not only be excited but be able to clearly speak about why it is so amazing. If you are not really excited about your product do not expect someone else to be. Writers talk to entrepreneurs all the time. They will EASILY be able to figure out if you are truly excited about your product or not.

Make it EASY for them to write about you:

Do you have a "Press Section" on your website? Do you have amazing hi-res product shots and photos of key members of your business? A company bio that talks about how the business got started? These are really easy things to set up. You can use a service like Flickr or Picasa to host a gallery of hi-res photos for FREE. People in the media will for sure ask you for photos while conducting an interview. It is way easier to sent them a link to your photo gallery than email a bunch of hi-res photos. The media source will then have photo choices for the article and will pick the photos that are best suited for the article.

Always be consistent and follow up with your media contacts. Sometimes it might not be the right time for an article about your product or service. Stay in touch because the time will eventually come. It is also amazing how one article can spark many more features in other types of media. After landing an amazing feature in the Washington Post food section about CurrySimple I was contacted just days later by ABC News asking if I would be willing to do a live interview to talk about my business.

Posted via email from Mikey Moran

Social Media & Web Consulting - @ClickLikeMedia

2011-10-18T11:04:00.001-07:00

Click Like Media is a small team of marketing ninjas that have come together to make businesses, celebrities, brands more successful online through social media and the proper web channels. This service is something that I have been looking to do for many years and am so happy to be a part of something I love to do. It is very rewarding to take a business to the next level.

We have gained our clients through our large network of contacts as well as referrals. We will never do advertising. Word of mouth is the best form of marketing and we were instantly busy once the company launched. We specialize in maximizing the social media presence of a business or person with proven strategies and techniques. We are heavily focused on creating a strong visual media presence.

Looking to improve your brand awareness on Facebook, Twitter, Web and other media outlets? Contact Click Like Media.

Posted via email from Mikey Moran

2011 Atlanta Half Marathon - I'm In!

2011-10-17T20:44:00.001-07:00

Have you ever ran a Half Marathon or even a Marathon? No? Neither have I.

The training is in full gear for this. I have NEVER been a runner in my life. Earlier this year I started running a little bit to loose some extra weight for the summer. It worked very well. The thought of completing a 26 mile marathon is a HUGE challenge. I love it and will do so in February. The 2011 Atlanta Half Marathon in November is at a perfect time for my training schedule.

At this point I am up to about 5 miles with intentions to increase my distance 1 mile per week up until the race. My body feels good so my confidence is high. I am getting back to the 4-Hour Body diet so I can loose some weight before the race. This should really help with my run.

The marathon training has begun!

Posted via email from Mikey Moran

New Atlanta Food Truck! @RollingReubens

2011-10-17T12:26:00.001-07:00

I am SUPER EXCITED to be part of this new Food Truck adventure with Chris, Rajeev and Claudio. Together we have formed an all-star team to launch a food truck in Atlanta. We are taking the Reuben's Deli concept that Claudio has perfected for over a decade to the streets!

Rolling Reuben's will be serving up stacked and packed deli sandwiches. Yeah I know a sandwich is not a NEW concept here. Although it is difficult to find a delicious sandwich since the "Subway" franchises have taken over. If I want a bread sandwich loaded with veggies and a slice of meat I know where to find you Subway. This is NOT the case with Rolling Reuben's as you can see below.

My part in the company will obviously be the marketing and part of the operations. The media strategy will be focused on many photos and videos showcasing the love for the sandwiches and the food truck. It will be easy to find us via the Rolling Reuben's Facebook and Twitter pages.

I first started my food business career at the age of 16. I have considered owning a restaurant multiple times over my lifetime entrepreneurial journey. The risk plus cost of entry was always the deciding NO factor. The cost of entry into the Food Truck business is so much less with the minimization of risk when signing a long term lease for a bad location. The idea is not for us to own just one food truck. We plan on launching multiple concepts and trucks over the next year. The idea is to learn the business inside and out first and then expand.

Wish me luck @MoranMikey on Twitter!

Posted via email from Mikey Moran

TIP: Do you TWEET your Foursquare Check-ins?

2011-07-18T11:34:00.001-07:00

I LOVE managing the Social Media marketing strategies for companies. It is really something that I do very well. Will I get rich, famous and be able to retire next year? NO! That is OK though. I can say it can be more demanding than many might know. Social is 24 hours a day and profiles you manage have to be watched often. Thankfully I am uber connected!

Here is one tip that is really easy to do and makes a great impact! Make sure you are managing the Foursquare profile for your own business or client. Foursquare has a very clean interface to manage the venue along with some great statistics on your users check-ins. Inside the venue profile you will be able to see the users that have their Twitter account integrated with their Foursquare account. Sending the user a tweet to ask them how their visit was only takes a minute. I personally have been tweeted by a venue that I checked into and was very surprised. I felt so special and felt like the business actually cared. The photos above show a few Twitter and Foursquare examples of the Harry & Sons restaurant in Atlanta that I manage.

TIP: The Harry & Sons twitter account is new so they don't have many followers. Once you have a following you might want to use a tool like Hootsuite to schedule the tweets a little apart from each other so it does not overload your followers twitter stream.

Have you tried this tip yet? If so let me know how it has worked for you by commenting below.

See the full gallery on Posterous

Posted via email from Mikey Moran

@Spotify via @Klout = #PERKS

2011-07-18T10:10:00.001-07:00

I got a nice little email in my inbox today saying I "could be" eligible for a Spotify account. The email had me log into the "Klout Perks" section of the site. Spotify has teamed up with Klout to help launch the new music service in the US. I am not sure if everyone that is registered with Klout gets the early invite or if there is a score threshold they are following. My Klout Score generally floats over the 50 range so I figured getting an account should be easy. I am all set up with Spotify. The interface looks great. Although I am currently at the beach with no speakers so giving it a test drive will not happen until later this week.

Posted via email from Mikey Moran

Modelfy #1 For Model Portfolios!

2011-07-15T13:43:00.003-07:00

Being part of the fastest growing site for model portfolios is VERY EXCITING! The growing community and social interaction between professionals in the modeling industry is starting to get a lot of attention. Not just by talented beautiful people but search engines like Google. We have been working on some brilliant content creation and participation from users that has leapfrogged us to the top of search results for many terms.

Today is an excited day as we have finally reached #1 for model portfolios. Yes this is just one of millions of search terms but you have to start somewhere. Modelfy is a new site and will take some time to gain authority with search engines. The site features thousands of modeling photos from both male models and female models. There are all types of models on the site from fitness models to those that specialize in runway modeling. The amazing part of Modelfy is the community is not just US based models. We have a large user base in Australia and see it growing in Europe. The internet makes creating worldwide communities possible and it is amazing to be part of it.

In just six months Modelfy has really started to get some great traction. We have been working on a few key features that will only increase our results faster. I am keeping these secrets quite for not until further testing is done. Looking at the photo above it seems we have found a system that works well for now. Although the fastest growth will be from our user base. Nothing can compete with a large amount of user generated content! Always remember that Content is King!

Posted via email from Mikey Moran

Modelfy #1 For Model Portfolios!

2011-07-15T13:43:00.001-07:00

Posted via email from Mikey Moran

Deal of the Day!

2011-07-13T14:26:00.001-07:00

I am excited to announce that Online Gourmet Shopping just got better with the Deal of the Day on Snazzy Gourmet.

The feature is something I have wanted to integrate for a long time as it is a great way to get customers back to your site more frequently to make purchase. Snazzy is hosted on the Volusion platform which I have thoroughly enjoyed over the past few years. Until yesterday, creating a special deal that changed frequently was a little time consuming and difficult to manage. The latest "Deal of the Day" feature that was integrated into the V11 version solves this problem. It helps store owners create their own Groupon type deal with ease. The best part is you don't have to pay big commissions to Groupon to do so either.

Using a reputable E-commerce platform can greatly improve the shopping experience for customers and take a lot of stress away for merchants.

Posted via email from Mikey Moran

Mikey Moran has a Paper?

2011-07-13T12:48:00.001-07:00

Of course! We all should.

It is really easy to create your own daily addition with the use of Paper.li. It is as easy as connecting your Twitter account, tweak a few setting and publish. One of the great things about it is the beautiful format of news it presents. It makes reading stories from your favorite tweeters really simple. Above is one of my daily additions. It would be excellent if they had more SEO friendly URL's that would include my name but I guess I cannot complain about this free service.

You can check out my archives as well as the Wednesday, Jul 13, 2011 edition.

My profile page - Mikey Moran on Paper.li.

Posted via email from Mikey Moran

Do you Squidoo?

2011-07-11T19:41:00.001-07:00

I joined Squidoo a few years back and created a few "lenses" for some of my projects. I have since revisited the service because of the SEO benefits that it can provide. I am going to keep track of my progress and try and monitor what effect having Squidoo pages will have on some of my other sites. My Mikey Moran Squidoo Profile lists all my current works. Most of the pages I have created thus far are related to my Gourmet Food Store Snazzy Gourmet and the modeling network Modelfy. Squidoo makes publishing pages very quick and easy. They have a revenue share for the ads as well as affiliates like Amazon and Ebay. I participated in a poll and it stated that 2.3% of members make over $1,500 per month in revenue from Squidoo. I would take that! To get to that level I am sure the writers are putting in a lot of effort. Of course you should never expect anything without a lot of effort!

In an effort to create better quality pages I have implemented a daily competition with my intern Forrest to see who can create the better page in an hour. Today I think I clearly won the competition although I do have a little more experience creating pages.

My Page - Barbecue Sauces

Interns Page - Best Hot Sauces

Both of these pages took about 1.5 hours to create. I am thinking over time we can create a great looking and informative page within an hour. Creating 1 page a day could pay huge dividends within a year. I will keep a detailed progress log!

In the time of writing this post I received a message that "An Official SquidooStaffer just like my page". It was the Barbecue Sauces page so I think I might clearly be the winner today!

Posted via email from Mikey Moran

Fear - The Reason You Don't Succeed

2011-07-10T22:37:00.001-07:00

Is this true? You are not succeeding in what you are doing because you are scared? It could be one great reason why.

It might sound cliche, but we often do hit forks in the road where difficult decisions need to be made. What do you usually choose? The easy way out? Most of us do and it probably won't get you anywhere. Some times you have to say F***K it and go for it! I am sure there is some formula for managing risk but this is not about that.

Over the years I have looked back at certain moments in my life. Why have I not moved faster with some projects? Why did I not get that girl I always wanted to take out? When I really ask myself WHY it is usually rather simple. I was scared to ask for help in business. I was scared to ask the girl for her number. I was embarrassed that I failed at something and was scared to learn from it. It was not until about six years ago when I decided to take a serious leap in entrepreneurship did I really start to hone my skills on recognizing fear.

I remember it like it was yesterday. I was washing dishes on an abnormally hot Atlanta spring day. Standing there with serious doubt in my mind and dirty dishes in my hands I began to wonder if I was going to succeed with my CurrySimple product line that I had launched the year earlier. What would be considered successful? Had I not already done the impossible by creating a product in a country on the other side of the world? Had I not been in magazines, newspapers and TV? That was all COOL but I did not feel like that was success. Getting CurrySimple in Whole Foods was something I continued to fail at doing but would be a huge sign of success for the brand. Something came over me that day. I stood their and realized the real reason it was not in the store was because I was scared to do what was necessary to make it happen. I will later write about the great story of getting the product on the shelves. For now all I can say is that I put the dishes down and started a relentless journey that eventually led me to achieve my goal. This was all sparked by the realization that I was scared to succeed.

Have you ever watched the Last Lecture: Achieving Your Childhood Dreams by Randy Pausch? It could be the best 1 hr 16 min you spend this year. Watch this inspirational video.

Take some time and think about what you really want to achieve in life. Then think about why you have not reached those achievements. Recognize what is related to fear and stop being scared. You have two choices when you wake up every morning. You can live your life scared and unhappy or you can be happy and fearless. Wake up tomorrow happy and fearless!

Posted via email from Mikey Moran

Top New Gourmet Recipes!

2011-07-08T12:09:00.001-07:00

We have been adding some delicious recipes to Snazzy Gourmet this week. Snazzy Gourmet is my Gourmet Food Store project that I have been working on for a few years. This year we are working harder than ever to make it successful. We offer almost 1,000 all-natural or organic food products.

Here are some of the top Recipes we have added this week:

Cabernet Braised Pork Roast

Sweet Heat Chipotle Chicken Wings Recipe

Hot Shrimp on Spinach Recipe

Smoky BBQ Shrimp Tacos Recipe

Chicken Coconut Soup Recipe

Using high quality gourmet food products will always yield a better meal in the kitchen. We focus on finding exclusive products with unique flavors. Items that you find in the middle isles of Publix are so generic. It is so much fun to experiment with flavors from all over the world and creations from creative food entrepreneurs.

Posted via email from Mikey Moran

Modeling News and Links Directory

2011-07-06T19:56:00.001-07:00

Getting a gazillion modeling links is not easy.

The key is to get people to write about your site or create your own content. This is not always easy! Creating well crafted articles can take some time but will be beneficial over time. You can quickly create pages on sites like Squidoo and Hub Pages. They both offer easy to create pages that will be indexed rather quickly. As you create more pages you will gain more authority on the sites and be able to link everything together. As you get more comments and people liking your content it will slowly move up in rankings.

Creating winning content takes time and talent. The longer you wait to create the longer it will be before you start to rank higher in search engines. Get writing!

Posted via email from Mikey Moran

Modelfy get Rich Snippets with Google Search

2011-07-06T10:38:00.001-07:00

I am excited to announce Modelfy now has Google Rich Snippets integrated and live in search. The actual coding to make this possible was integrated a few months back but Google has just updated Modelfy's search results to present the Rich Snippets feature.

The picture above showcases my Mikey Moran Modelfy Page in a Google search for my name. The Rich Snippets feature also seems to rank better in Google search. Last week when I searched for my name my Modelfy portfolio was on the second page. As of today it now ranks around 7 on the first page of Google results.

The overall traffic for Modelfy has been drastically increasing over the past week since Google has updated the PR Ranks of their pages. We will continue to integrate the latest available coding and technology in our sites.

Posted via email from Mikey Moran

Hollywood Here I Come!

2011-07-05T21:26:00.001-07:00

Ok... Well not really...

I did take my first step tonight. I went to audit an acting class at Nick Conti's Professional Actor's Studio in Atlanta. I went with a few friends which made the experience a little less intimidating. Especially because one of them was just on 18 episodes of Tyler Perry House of Pain. The first class was a great learning experience and something I am going to pursue. The classes will make a positive impact on any upcoming news appearances or videos I shoot for the million projects I am working on. Atlanta also happens to be the #3 market behind LA and NYC for TV and movie production. If I could land a roll in a commercial, TV show or even a movie it would be amazing!

Acting and being on camera has been something that I have always been interested in. I realize that I have always feared getting into it more. Fear inhibits most of us from doing the things we really want to do. My confidence level is through the roof and I am ready to take this on. I will be updating my site weekly with my progress.

Almost famous... Mikey

Posted via email from Mikey Moran

Oh My Urban Accents Recipes!

2011-07-05T07:24:00.001-07:00

We have just added about 100 Urban Accents Recipes to the Gourmet Food Store Snazzy Gourmet!

Urban Accents is a leading gourmet spice producer. They have what seems like a million different products. We have been dedicated to adding 1,000 recipes to our store this summer. The recipes are for some really cool products! Some of them include:

Urban Accents Fisherman's Warf - This savory blend of herbs and spices has a pepper and lemon base that is coarsely ground with flake salt, green onions and parsley.

Urban Accents Cajun Street - Capture the heat of the French Quarter and the legacy of the Louisiana bayou with this seductive blend.

Urban Accents Chicago Steak & Chop - Inspired by the "Windy City" and its famous steak houses, this hearty seasoned blend of cracked pepper, coarse salt, garlic, onion and other spices will add a bold flavor to any cut of meat.

You can check out more Urban Accents products.

Recipes are an important part of any food retail site. People love to buy gourmet food items but don't always know what to do with them. To offer a bunch of recipe ideas will keep the customer happy and coming back for more great gourmet food products!

Posted via email from Mikey Moran

Google Launches Prizes.org

2011-07-04T14:04:00.001-07:00

The Google team sure has been busy. Last week launching Google+ and today Google launches Prizes.org.

Prizes enables you to solve problems, win contests & make money! Ok that does sound good! The site was created by the Slide team which Google acquired last year. Most prizes awarded are $10 - $50.

The site allows you to create a profile page with information about yourself, your social profiles and a link to a personal website. The ability to create a contest is still in Beta mode. I have already requested the ability to create a prize and will be notified when I can do so. Google is good at creating a demand for a product and only letting them have part of it.

Check out Google Prizes.org

Posted via email from Mikey Moran

Google Plus - A First Look

2011-07-04T13:42:00.001-07:00

I am a new member on Hubpages and noticed nobody has written a review yet on Google+. The service is new and I love it so I spent some time, gathered some screen shots and found some very nice videos produced by Google. Google launched a really great product from the start with a very well designed Android App. I guess the app should not come of surprise as Google is the creator of Android. Google also hit it right for the most part with the privacy settings. I am not sure why but it seems social networks always messes this up. Why not make it a little private and let users decide what is shared from the start. And make it easy for them! Great job Google! I love you again...

Check out my Hub:

Google+ - A First Look

Posted via email from Mikey Moran

Google+ Vanity URL?

2011-07-04T08:47:00.001-07:00

Not Yet!

I am really excited about Google+. The Android app is killer! The interface is sick! The simplicity of it makes me think back when I migrated from MySpace to Facebook.

Getting a Vanity URL for this will be big! I really wish I could have claimed Facebook.com/Mikey or @MIKEY on Twitter. Google+ is still in Beta version so they do not yet have the option to change the URL. Keep your eyes out for this feature and make sure you claim your name!

Posted via email from Mikey Moran

Best Entrepreneur Speech EVER! By @Jason

2011-07-04T08:29:00.001-07:00

I have spent over a decade trying to figure out how to be successful in business. There is obviously no simple solution. I have had mild success and failure in my entrepreneurial career. There will be points when you need a little inspiration for what you are doing. I am a big fan of This Week in Startups hosted by Jason Calacanis. I have watched over 100 episodes of the very inspirational and educational show. It often hosts the top tech entrepreneurs in the business. I was even fortunate enough to pitch MOUGG in the Shark Tank segment on Episode #120.

Jason spends about 30 minutes to give a speech to a Penn State class about entrepreneurship. He uses his background and past experiences of success and failure as examples. He uses great analogies about you choice of being a "rice picker" vs a "samurai." In the beginning he asks the class how many people want to just work in the corporate world and collect a check. Most of the class actually raised their hands. I am sure if he asked the same question at the end of the speech he may have had a more favorable result towards being a samurai.

I really wish I could have seen a speech like this when I was 22.

My journey in entrepreneurship continues...

Posted via email from Mikey Moran

Remix.VG

2011-07-03T16:39:00.001-07:00

I am always looking for new music. I am sure I am not alone!

If you are interested in remixes, mashups and covers then Remix.vg is the site for you. The site allows users to upload their favorite mixes to the site. The site updates charts of the hottest mixes so it is easy to find some really great music quickly. Listening to the same songs on the radio can get boring. It makes you really appreciate the skill some DJ's have when creating these mixes.

The top of the remix charts this week is a mix called "Eminem vs Flux Pavilion - Got 2 Know Superman - NTK Mashup." The remix is like having Dubstep meet Hip-Hop. What a combo!

The site recently went through a complete re-design which is a huge improvement. Music is embedded mixes from both Soundcloud and YouTube media. So basically a user would upload their mix to one of those two services then post it on Remix.vg. This is a brilliant move by REMIX because they will not have to deal with any of the copyright issues the music industry might impose. If you are a DJ I would really advise using this site. The goal is to get as much exposure as possible and REMIX is a FREE way to do so.

Take a moment and check out some great remixed music on Remix.vg.

Posted via email from Mikey Moran

Entreprenuership & Friends

2011-07-02T11:13:00.001-07:00

I had a great conversation with a friend yesterday about
entrepreneurship. It is not as easy as it looks and the support from
friends and family can go a long way. Taking the leap into starting
your own business, brand, product, service or whatever is a big deal.
It can be an emotional roller coaster. Especially the first time you
get on the ride!

So why are friends and family important? Word of mouth in both real
world conversations as well as through social networks such as
Facebook and Twitter is crucially important for a small business. You
often hear big news stories about companies getting MILLIONS in
funding for a new venture which allows them to have huge marketing
budgets. Compared to the amount of actual startups this occurrence is
actually few and far between. Most people, including myself, have to
rely on guerrilla marketing techniques, social media (Facebook,
Twitter and soon Google+), Press and everyone we can get to talk about
our products and services.

I would never expect a friend to talk about my products with great
conviction if they have never tried it. Although during a conversation
someone might be talking about a similar product. Cutting in and maybe
saying "My friend John has a similar product called xyz. I have not
personally tried it but think you should take a look at it as a second
option. Please let me know what you think about it so I can give John
some feedback." This is a great way to introduce a friend's product!
It also leads for an expectation for feedback. It gives the person you
are talking to an expectation to actually try the product.

Social sharing is a VERY EASY way to show support for a friend. In
less then 1 minute you can make a well crafted post linking to a
friend's business (either website or Facebook fan page). It could be
just what one of your 1,000 Facebook friends is looking for! Send a
Tweet about it and tag your friend in the tweet to let them know you
are showing support.

Buy the product or service! What!!! Did you just say actually spend
money on something my friend does? Shouldn't they give it to me for
free because I am their friend? Well no. A product always has an
actual cost attached to it and a service generally involves someones
time. Ever heard the saying "time is money?" So in reality they are
both the same. Businesses generally have a small budget to give out
free products. Be a FRIEND and let them use that towards people that
have no idea about the company. Acquiring a new customer is harder
then you think!

My experiences with this topic have been a great learning experience.
I can personally say when I see a friend talk about something I do or
post about it on Facebook it brings me great joy. It helps keep me
going. Really! I often post about products my friends are working on.
Not because I have to but I understand the difficulties of what they
are trying to accomplish. During the Christmas of 2009 I received an
online order for (2) CurrySimple gift packs from the girl I was dating
in DC. I immediately called her and was like "Ahhh... What are you
doing???" She said she wanted to give them to some friends that like
Thai food and had never tried my product. I was SHOCKED. I put them
together... Jumped in my car... Drove 660 miles... And personally
delivered them 10 hours later. This also made me realize that one of
the greatest traits I now look for in a woman is SUPPORT. Although my
relationship with the girl in DC faded due to distance I will never in
my life forget her online order and more importantly the support she
showed me during our relationship. Friends have also helped me out
tremendously by getting me media contacts, TV appearances and other
types os support. I can not thank them enough!

Showing support for an entrepreneurial friend is easier then you think
and only takes a minute. Be a friend and talk about a friend.

Posted via email from Mikey Moran

Fox Bros Bar-B-Q Online!

2011-07-01T09:03:00.001-07:00

I am excited to announce that Fox Bros Bar-B-Q has selected Snazzy Gourmet as their online gourmet retailer for their award winning BBQ sauces!

Fox Bros Bar-B-Q has a popular restaurant here in Atlanta. It is great to team up with this great company! We offer their Award Winning BBQ Sauces in both a normal consumer size as well as their gallon Foodservice size. Fox Bros. realizes packing and shipping orders can be very time consuming and difficult to manage. Using Snazzy Gourmet as their fulfillment source they can focus on building the brand while we focus on getting it to their consumers. This is the exact approach I took a few years ago with CurrySimple. Allowing my distributor that already warehouses my product to do what they do best, pack orders, I have been free to spend more time on marketing my products. Fox Bros Bar-B-Q has a restaurant as well. If you have ever been in the restaurant business you know that it is enough in itself to manage.

If you love AMAZING BBQ SAUCE then check out Fox Bros Bar-B-Q!

Posted via email from Mikey Moran

Mikey Moran Squidoo Lens

2011-06-28T03:06:00.001-07:00

Do you Squidoo?

I have been on the constant pursuit of absolutely OWNING my name on the first page of Google Search. I posted about it on Facebook last week and a few friends though I was a little too much into myself. Sorry but they just don't understand the importance of this. Having control of your name and profiles in search is very important. It was funny when I woke up this morning and noticed Mashable just wrote an article about it (How To: Manage Your Online Reputation Using SEO). Do you ever "Google" someones name that you are considering doing business with? I do! As well as other people that you meet in daily life. To be able to control what people can find about you is a very powerful thing. I currently hold 6 out of 10 pages for my name on Google. I will not stop until I have all 10.

I believe creating a Squidoo page should help. Check out Mikey Moran on Squidoo!

Posted via email from Mikey Moran

More on Mikey Moran

2011-06-27T18:11:00.001-07:00

The conquest of my name on Google continues!

Today I completed the Mikey Moran Squidoo page. It is actually a really cool service and easy to publish stuff.

Here is a list of other pages that are high-ranking but not yet on the first page. Top second page results are as follows:

#11 My interview on This Week in Cloud Computing: Mikey Moran of Mougg.

#12 My admin page on Modelfy - Mikey Moran

#16 My interview with INC Magazine - Mikey Moran

#17 - #19 were MikeyMoran.com

#20 My profile page on Quora - Mikey Moran asks Questions

I will continue to publish content and see what starts to make a move on Google. Controlling your online presence is greatly important. If anyone I know searches my name they will see some of the really cool stuff I have done over the past few years but might not of talked about.

Posted via email from Mikey Moran

Dave's Gourmet on Snazzy Gourmet!

2011-06-20T22:05:00.001-07:00

My goal this summer is to add 1,000 recipes to my Snazzy Gourmet food store. This is going to take FOREVER but it is really something I want to accomplish. The site currently has a Google PR Ranking of 6. This is very high and has a lot of value. The traffic to the site is consistent but nothing like an iGourmet.

I couldn't find many recipes for the Dave's Gourmet product line but added the ones that I did. I actually really enjoy their products although can not eat them often because of the strict 4 Hour Body diet I am on. Pasta is so good and so much better with these great tasting sauces. Well if you are into pasta sauce and used for more than just pasta check out these Dave's Gourmet Recipes.

Posted via email from Mikey Moran

Mikey Moran About.me

2011-06-19T13:02:00.001-07:00

You want to be found? You need to be everywhere!

I did a Google search today for "Mikey Moran" and noticed I claimed 7 out of the 10 spots on the first page. This is great but I really want to own the entire page! Creating social profiles on sites like About.me can only help. Anyone looking to create a quick public profile online should use this FREE service. I had a great looking page completed in about 15 minutes. You have the ability to add your other social profiles and write a bio about yourself. If you are looking to create a great page on yourself I recommend spending some time to write an actual bio in the space provided. I never understood the point of just writing something like "I am cool!" Yeah that is great that you think you are cool but tell someone that might come across your page WHY? If you can't come up with reasons why it might be a good indicator that you need to start doing some more interesting things.

Check out my page - Mikey Moran on About.me

Posted via email from Mikey Moran

Yahoo! Contributor Network

2011-06-17T14:07:00.001-07:00

I was just approved as a writer for the Yahoo! Contributor Network!

Articles I write will be featured on the Associated Content site as well as their partners. Am I making a career path to becoming a writer? No I don't think so! Although I find that if you have a purpose for a project of any kind you will become better at it. Before starting CurrySimple in 2006 I was basically a HORRIBLE writer. Since then I have had to write extensively for site content, recipes, emails, dealing with press and a million other things for business.

Why was I such a bad writer? I can honestly say I NEVER read a book in High School. That doesn't help! I have since become a huge fan of non-fiction business books with high hopes of creating a brand, product or service that will one day be exciting enough to be written about. I feel reading will make you a better writer. You start to see different styles and patterns. You have to find your own. My style of writing compliments my personality. A reason I am often featured in the media is that I write to excite. Quick, short and simple. No fluff!

So my career in writing begins...

My Contributor Network Profile

Posted via email from Mikey Moran

Getting organized with WorkFlowy

2011-06-13T21:09:00.001-07:00

Getting organized (and staying there) is crucial for an entrepreneur. I have tried using numerous tools to manage all my projects and ideas. The #1 tool for me is incredibly a pad of paper and pen that I can carry around with me. For some reason it just works so well. My issue has been that It is not organized. Going back through the pages can take some time and time is something I and probably you do not have much of. I found WorkFlowy as a simple tool to update and organize my notes. WorkFlowy is a FREE service and could probably be recreated by a good developer in a week. But why bother? WorkFlowy works great and hats off to the absolute simplicity of the product.

WorkFolwy allows you to create simple lists that can organize ideas, project or even be somewhat of a journal. I have just started using the product and feel like if I continue to do so I will be more efficient and productive. If that sounds good to you give it a try!

Try WorkFlowy

Posted via email from Mikey Moran

Adding Recipes to SnazzyGourmet.com

2011-06-13T13:06:00.001-07:00

Adding Recipes to a website can be rather time consuming. SnazzyGourmet.com is a project I have been working on for a few years now. We have optimized the SEO of each individual page as much as possible. The next step and goal is to add 1,000 recipes to the website this summer. The first set have been added for the product Hot Squeeze. We have about 40 Hot Squeeze Recipes for this sweet heat chipotle sauce that was created by my friend Sue Sullivan. Sue describes Hot Squeeze by saying "it's spicy, it's sweet, it's sassy and it's sexy all in one bottle!"

The process of adding them is a little more time consuming with the Volusion platform. I really enjoy Volusion but this is one area where adding non-product pages can be very time consuming.

Posted via email from Mikey Moran

Volusion Social Featured - I am Quoted!

2011-06-08T16:46:00.001-07:00

I was contacted last week by a marketing representative for the Ecommerce platform Volusion. Volusion is the software I personally use for my online gourmet food store Snazzy Gourmet. When they launched their new V11 software update I quickly tweeted about some of the great social features that it offered. Volusion picked up some of my tweets and later contacted me for an interview. Of course the press junkie that I am I was ready to quote away!

Check out the Press Release:

Volusion Enables 25,000+ Online Stores to Streamline Their Social Media Marketing Efforts

Ecommerce Leader Releases Powerful Integrations with Facebook, Twitter and YouTube

Continue Reading...

Posted via email from Mikey Moran

Facebook Contests - Increase your Fan Base!

2011-06-08T13:56:00.001-07:00

An excellent way to increase your fan base is to run a contest! I decided to do a photo contest for Modelfy. It really helps to pick a contest that will coincide with your particular industry. Photos plus models is basically a perfect fit. The prize package offered was also really sweet. Bragging rights of winning a contest is cool but it will only take you so far.

Check out the 7 screenshots that were taken on the Modelfy Fan Page. They were each taken around noon time depending on my schedule. The dramatic increase in our fan base was overwhelming. Increasing your fan base will not only allow you to market to a larger audience it also gives you a prestige of sort.

See the full gallery on Posterous

Posted via email from Mikey Moran

Modelfy Pool Party - W Hotel

2011-06-02T17:10:00.001-07:00

I am excited to help through the upcoming Modelfy Pool Party at the W Hotel downtown this weekend. This exclusive invite-only event will take place Sunday afternoon. Modelfy models will be handing out t-shirts and wearing sexy bikinis. Beats will be provided by DJ Mogill and Reboot Music. Our photography staff will be there to capture every sexy moment. Check back next week for a series of photo and video recaps.

Posted via email from Mikey Moran

Fit Radio Commercial

2011-06-02T11:48:00.001-07:00

A few days ago I filmed a commercial for Fit Radio. It was a great time running up and down Stone Mountain for 4 hours in 100 degree heat. Really? Well it was a great workout! The video is still in production but here are some photos of the video shoot.

Fit Radio is a web and mobile music platform that streams High-BPM music. Basically what you would hear in a nightclub. I use it daily for working out. I enjoy the fact that they are real DJ mixes and the music does not stop for ads or the next song. Mixes last generally an hour.

Check out Fit Radio!

See the full gallery on Posterous

Posted via email from Mikey Moran

Users Can't Tag Photos on your Fan Page?

2011-05-26T13:17:00.001-07:00

This is a common problem with Facebook Fan/Business pages. The default setting does not allow your fans to tag photos on your business page. This is great for some but horrible for others. Thankfully there is a quick fix! I recently had to make this switch for the Modelfy Facebook Page.

1 - Go to your Facebook page.

2 - Below your page-logo or photo, click on “Edit Page”.

3 - In your browser’s URL you can find the page’s ID, which is the number that comes AFTER ‘edit/?id=’

4 - Go to this URL (copy it in the browser address bar, without clicking enter) and change REPLACEME to your Page ID from step 3:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/edit/app_settings.php?id=REPLACEME&aid=2305272732

5 - Then click enter to load this hidden setting page for your Facebook photos

6 - Click the setting for “Allow All Fans to Tag Photos”

7 - Save your settings and you’re done!

Posted via email from Mikey Moran

The LAUNCH Conference with $5

2011-02-28T09:17:00.001-08:00

I just got back from the LAUNCH Conference in San Francisco. What an amazing experience! Looking back it made me realize how much of it I accomplished with just $5.

The purpose of this post is not only to help document the trip but show other startups you don't always need funding to get the word out about your company.

Pitch on This Week in Startups #120 - FREE!

I was invited to the conference by Jason Calacanis after pitching MOUGG in the "Shark Tank" segment of This Week in Startups episode #120 with Tony Conrad. Tony rated my pitch a 9.9! Jason and Tyler gave it an 8 - 8.5. I am a huge fan of TWIST so appearing on the show was very special to me. At the end of the segment Jason graciously offered me two tickets to the LAUNCH Conference and then even threw in a table in the Launch Pad.

Flight - ATL > San Fran - $5

I had under two weeks to prepare for the conference. There are plenty of hotels in San Fran but flights to the west coast can sometimes book up quickly. The prices had already increased a lot so I decided to turn in some SkyMiles for a round trip ticket. An advantage of doing business in Bangkok twice a year is the amount of SkyMiles you can accumulate (20,000 miles per trip!).

Hansen's All-Natural Soda Sponsor - FREE!

Prior to the conference, Jason Calacanis hosted a conference call to answer questions and give tips on how to be more successful at the event. During the call he mentioned giving away drinks at your booth would make people more inclined to listen to what you have to say. If you are given something, even small, it is a great segway into a conversation about your product. I don't know any high powered employees at Starbucks but I did have a friend that handles all the marketing for Hansen's All-Natural sodas! Doug agreed to bring sodas to the event and hand them out for FREE!

It worked out very well. The Hansen's products were a good alternative to the Coke products offered in the lounge.

Mougg Presents Venture Socialism 101 - A Launch After Party - FREE!

The night before leaving for San Fran I noticed some tweets about Launch Meetups and after parties. I noticed nobody was hosting a later after party on Thursday after the event. WHAT! I quickly jumped to action by finding a hot venue to host a party Thursday night. I chose SLIDE Lounge which was a good size venue with an actual slide in it!

The next step was to get listed on the Launch Meetups Pen.io page that seemed to be the official source on what was going on after the event. I wanted to make my own page for the event to maximize the exposure for the Mougg brand. I did so by creating an event page with guest list features for free on Eventbright. Check it out!

The party recieved numerous tweets and 177 RSVPs. My personal invite to #POPBOTTLES with Jason Calacanis was re-tweeted by him to almost 110,000 twitter users. The event worked out great and it was a lot of fun to talk to others about their companies in a relaxed fun setting.

Mougg Promo Video for Event - FREE!

To create a more interactive experience the LAUNCH conference did NOT want sound coming from tables in the Launch Pad. Mougg is all about music and the sound! What should I do? I had to call in a favor from some friends that I am working with to launch a marketing company with. I told them I needed an eye catching video produced in 72 hours. They were up for the challenge and exceeded my expectations. The video was played on an elevated monitor at our table and really did get attention.

Invited to Present on Stage - FREE!

One of the exciting elements for the Launch Pad companies was the possibility of getting chosen to go on stage and pitch your product to hundreds of media, VCs, Al Gore and Live coverage by Ustream. On Day 1 of the conference I was chosen along with five other companies to go on stage and tell people about Mougg and why it is a great idea.

Other Memorable Moments outside the Conference - MORE THAN $5!

I stayed at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in downtown San Francisco. The room had one of the best views in the city!

We had great Korean BBQ!

Huge Steak Dinner at Alfred's Steakhouse! (Felt like I was in a Godfather Movie scene)

Went for an amazing Jog along Fisherman's Warf!

Drinks at the XYZ bar in the W Hotel!

I really can't put a value on the experience at the Launch Conference. I learned so much, received product feedback by industry professionals and met some amazing entrepreneurs.

Special thanks to Jason Calacanis, This Week in Startups (Rob rocks!), The Launch Conference Team and eveyone that participated in the event!

Posted via email from Mikey Moran

I will be @LAUNCH Conference San Fran!

2011-02-14T14:31:00.001-08:00

I have a BIG WEEK next week! It is so exciting to be a part of Mougg and show the influential guests the service in the Launch Pad at the LAUNCH Conference. The Launch Conference will be similar to the Tech Crunch 50 conference as one of the co-founders has started Launch. Well I actually know it is going to be better!

How did this come about?

I was fortunate to be a guest on This Week in Startups with Jason Calacanis. The episode is probably going to air the day before the conference. (SWEET!) At the end of the segment Jason graciously offered me a table at the conference to show off Mougg. There will be 100 companies presenting in the Launch Pad area. An exciting element is there is a chance for 2 - 3 companies to actually present on stage! Just the thought of that gets me even more fired up!

Presentation Display?

Oh this is still a secret! Well it has not been fully put together but the visual is looking good relative to the amount of space available. I am lucky to have done many large events around the country. The experience will come in handy!

Travel?

Still working on the hotel accommodations. I used some of my SkyMiles from trips to Bangkok to get a direct flight for $5. Not a bad deal!

Overal?

I know this is going to be an experience of a lifetime. It seems the term of the past 6 months is #PIVOT and oh do I have a story to tell. From international product development, logistics and the falling US currency... Now back into my passion of tech startups. 2011 is going to be a wild ride!

Posted via email from Mikey Moran

ThisWeekIn Cloud Computing!

2011-02-07T08:03:00.001-08:00

What a great experience! I was the featured guest on ThisWeekIn Cloud Computing to talk about the recent news in Cloud Computing as well as what is going on with Mougg. Cloud Computing and applications is all the craze right now. I am a "Super Fan" of the ThisWeekIn shows so it was a very special moment to be on the show!

Posted via email from Mikey Moran

Mougg - Your Music in the Cloud

2011-01-27T10:49:00.001-08:00

Looking for an easy way to manage and listen to all your music? Look no further than a project I am part of called Mougg.

Mougg allows you to upload all your music to the cloud and can be played anytime, anywhere and on about any device. Mougg works in all browsers and all computers that have an internet connection. I think should be about every computer these days (finally!). Mougg has iPhone and Android apps so you can stream your music from the device you probably always have with you. You can use the service FREE with a 1 GB storage limit or for just $2.99 a month you can upload and stream unlimited songs. We intend to keep the service 100% add free. Mougg has already received a great deal of press and even a mention by Rolling Stone.

If you want a worry free way to manage your music in the cloud check out Mougg.

Posted via email from Mikey Moran

OMG - Where have I been?

2010-07-30T16:33:00.001-07:00

Where have I been? Why have I not posted in so long. I have not been properly documenting my journey in life. I have so many projects and so little time. This is just a quick reminder post that I will be updating my blog. Kinda greasing the wheels a little bit.

Mikey Moran

About Me - I am a serial entrepreneur! My previous products, marketing techniques and strategies have been featured in the likes of The Washington Post, Entrepreneur Magazine, FOX, CBS, CNBC, ABC, INC, AJC, Atlanta Business Chronicle and many more media sources. Look for me in the upcoming Social Media Marketing for Dummies book!

My profiles:

Posted via email from Mikey Moran

LIVE on FOX 5's The Male Bag

2010-04-29T16:35:00.001-07:00

I had a great time as a special guest on FOX 5's The Male Bag segment. It is exciting that I am now getting in media that is not necessarily related to my businesses. Of course I would not have been able to be in that position if I was not well known for what I do. It seems to be the progression of my life and career. I also met Kelly Cutone in the green room before the segment. It was funny because I was just watching her the night before on the MTV show The Hills.

Watch the Video - http://www.myfoxatlanta.com/dpp/news/The-Male-Bag:-Engagement-042810

Posted via email from Mikey Moran

Should Social Media be part of your Marketing Campaign? YES!!!

2010-04-18T13:25:00.001-07:00

Is social media really that big? Really that important?

For some time now I have been using the quote "EMAIL IS DEAD". OK well of course it is not really DEAD and obviously used about everyday by everybody in the US. But have you noticed you once communicated a lot by email and now do it through Facebook or Twitter? Somebody writes a quick message on your wall or sends a more important question with a private message? People are now using social media for search where just a few years ago it was Google, Google and Google.

So how does this relate to business? It is simple. If people stopped watching TV would you spend all your time focusing on a eye catching Super Bowl style commercial? NO! You have to focus on where people are looking. People are spending more time then ever using and monitoring social media. Here are a few statistics.

Time spent with social networking has surpassed time spent with e-mail. (Neilsen) Time spent on social networks and blogging sites is growing at over three times that of the overall Internet. (Neilsen) 7 out of 10 Americans consume content via the “stream” or news-feed style communications (Pew Internet)

Having a strong social media marketing campaign is more important than ever. We understand this with the creation of the marketing tools Social Menu and Social Sell. I am really surprised that a lot of companies do not yet have a Facebook Fan Page. It is really simple to set up and FREE. How could this not fit in your marketing budget? Even if your company does not have time and needs to pay an expert team like Proven Commerce, it is very inexpensive relative to the benefits. Other companies are building brand loyalty with interaction using tools like a Fan Page. ~Mikey Moran Social Media Marketing Consultant

Posted via web from Mikey Moran

Getting started with Social Sell and Social Menu

2010-04-18T08:30:00.001-07:00

I thought it was important to explain in detail what is needed for getting started with both Social Sell and Social Menu. There are three version that Proven Commerce sells for each. How much needs to be done by the client spans from a little to all. I wanted to offer three versions to allow the client to have a choice for the "do it yourself" or "you do it all". Below is a link to an easy description.

http://www.provencommerce.com/2010/04/the-social-menu-and-social-sell-process/

~Mikey Moran

your Social Media guy

Posted via email from Mikey Moran

Social Menu launches today!

2010-04-12T14:37:00.001-07:00

I am so happy to announce that we have successfully launched Proven Commerce with a suite of Social Media Marketing software tools.

Social Menu creates a mouth watering social media campaign for your restaurant. The software allows a page to be created within Facebook that can be designed and customized to match your companies brand identity. Social Menu will make your entire menu viral by letting users and Facebook Fans send your products virtually. These items are posted on the wall of the recipient which creates conversation. Not just between the sender and receiver but the friends of the receiver as well.

Social Menu has a variety of Features and currently three pricing levels.

One of the Nations hottest food franchises, California Tortilla, uses their Social Menu to allow their customers to send their menu items virtually.

See and download the full gallery on posterous

Posted via email from Mikey Moran

Proven Commerce Mentioned in Press Release!

2010-04-12T14:09:00.001-07:00

California Tortilla Announces New App to Send Virtual

Mouth Watering Menu Items to Facebook Friends

ROCKVILLE, MD – To celebrate the launch of the fast casual chain's revamped menu, California Tortilla's engaged Facebook Fans will be able to send virtual menu items to their friends. Each time they gift a menu selection to their Facebook friends they will get a credit that could win them coveted California Tortilla prizes. Fans are helping launch the feature by sending product shots to populate it.

This new, fun enhancement of California Tortilla's Facebook page uses Social Menu, new software created by Proven Commerce, a company that designs Facebook applications to market products and services virally on Facebook.

###

Since 1995, California Tortilla, a quick-casual restaurant, has had a commitment to excellence by providing the tastiest and freshest Mexican food available today. This includes salsa made from 100% Roma Tomatoes in small batches throughout the day, handmade guacamole made from whole ripe avocadoes, fresh never frozen all white meat chicken breast and USDA Choice sirloin steak. California Tortilla features our unique” Wall of Flame” containing more than 75 hot sauces to complement our can’t-find-them-anywhere else burritos, bursting quesadillas and big fresh salads.

Where can I find California Tortilla? We’re EVERYWHERE! Go to www.californiatortilla.com, for a listing of all our locations.

How can I own a California Tortilla? If you are interested in opening a California Tortilla franchise location, go to www.californiatortill.com for more details.

For more information, please call 301-545-0035 or visit our website, www.californiatortilla.com, be our fan on Facebook or follow us on Twitter (http://twitter.com/caltort).

Posted via email from Mikey Moran

Customizing Top Fans Feature for Social Menu and Social Sell

2010-04-11T06:37:00.001-07:00

The Top Fans Feature is available on both the Social Sell and Social Menu platforms. It allows you a way to track who your most active fans are.

Some companies may choose to have contests or reward their top fans with prizes. A little incentive could spark a huge viral payoff.

The Top Fans feature is adjustable from 1 - 10 Fans. You can also adjust the "Top Fans" heading text to say anything you like.

To adjust the Top Fans setting you will visit your admin panel and click the Layout tab.

There is a drop down box labeled "Number of Top Fans" that can adjust your Top Fans from 1 - 10.

To adjust the Top Fans Text you will visit your admin panel and click the Labels tab.

You can easily update the text with whatever title will fit your campaign.

This is just one of the many adjustable features available in the Social Sell and Social Menu social media marketing platform. If you have any ideas on how to further customize and optimize this feature please leave a comment below.

Posted via web from Mikey Moran

Single Startups Interview

2010-04-05T06:14:00.001-07:00

Check out my interview with Single Startups!

Single Startups

My answer to Question #5 is a little bold but I love it..!

Posted via email from Mikey Moran

Facebook Connect Wordpress Integration

2010-03-21T17:39:00.001-07:00

Sick of having dozens of logins for different websites you like to post comments on? Why not use Facebook Connect!

Today I integrated Facebook Connect into Proven Commerce using a Wordpress Plugin called Simple Facebook Connect. The installation process was relatively easy and can be done with a mid-level of skills. The basic installation includes just a few steps. Download the files that is in a zip file and unzip. Upload the unzipped file into the "plugins" directory on your server. Create an application of Facebook and transfer 3 key numbers into the Connect plugin within your admin panel. A few tweeks had to be made with the PHP coding to get the connect button to show up. Installation should take no more than one hour.

Why use Facebook Connect?

It solves the problem of creating multiple accounts for every blog/website you would like to comment on. It is much easier just to manage your Facebook account. In addition, when users comment using their actual Facebook accounts you will notice a decrease in spam messages.

~Mikey Moran

eCommerce & Social Media Consulting

Posted via email from Mikey Moran

Garlic Clove Foods Choses Proven Commerce

2010-03-21T11:17:00.001-07:00

Food brand Garlic Clove Foods launched their first eCommerce website in 2009. It was functional for orders but the design and expandability were very limited with their current platform. Co-founder Dean D'Angelo chose the expertise of Mikey Moran with Proven Commerce to help switch their platform to a Prostores hosted website.

To save costs with the design, Mikey decided to do moderate customization of a free template that was offered by Prostores. The result yielded a beautiful eCommerce website that is fully expandable. As the needs of Garlic Clove Foods grows in the future, more advanced design changes can be made. The current site has a 1-Page checkout, multiple product images, related products, inventory control, SEO optimization and custom images. Our plans are to soon integrate video that shows how to prepare products such as their Spicy Cajun Pilaf.

Proven Commerce also works with Garlic Clove Foods to establish a strong Social Media presence by utilizing their Garlic Clove Foods Fan Page and Twitter. Dean plans on the integration of Social Sell into their social media marketing strategy within the next month.

<em>"My goal was to offer Garlic Clove Foods a solution that was easy to manage and expand as their business grows. Working within their budget was possible by utilizing the lower cost technology that is now available. I will continue to work with Dean to grow his business and drive traffic and sales without having to spend a fortune in doing so. ~Mikey Moran"</em>

Posted via email from The Official Blog of Mikey Moran

Getting Ready to Launch Proven Commerce!

2010-03-17T19:32:00.001-07:00

It has been a long time coming. About twelve years to be exact. At twenty one I dreamed up the idea of launching my first web services company. This was during the heyday of web startups, huge tech buyouts, inflated stock prices and everyone trying to figure out how to make money on the internet.

Fast forward to 2010. The web space is still growing despite the tech meltdown of years ago. In an effort to create a cost effective way to market CurrySimple, I came up with an idea that would be great for many businesses. This is when the idea behind Social Sell was born. It has spun off into a few other software products for restaurants and will integrate with eComm platforms to automatically import products.

What else will I do with Proven Commerce? I have formed a team of developers and designers for most aspects of the web. The first step was to get Jon Guerzon on board as the Creative Director. The next step was to add key developers. Now it is time to launch! Personally, I would like to help small businesses to meet their eCommerce, marketing and social media goals through consulting. Using my real world experience I will save business owners countless hours of frustration and mistakes. I am an expert with the Prostores platform which is Ebay's hosted shopping cart solution. Design services for print media, custom web design, Facebook application development, software products, custom Facebook Fan pages and more in the future.

Please contact us to help launch your next project or re-vamp your current one.

Posted via email from The Official Blog of Mikey Moran

CurrySimple in Global Traveler Magazine

2010-03-17T13:51:00.001-07:00

I was looking at some press leads this afternoon at lunch and noticed a lead from Global Traveler Magazine. I thought... "Wait... Wasn't I in that magazine?"... YES! Back in October 2009 I was fortunate to have a small feature for CurrySimple in the magazine. A small mention but much appreciated!

"All of Thailand loves jasmine rice, a staple in nearly every meal. Southern Thailand cuisine spices things up a bit with curry, a paste of dried herbs and spices, which is mixed into coconut milk and with meat. Gift sets let at-home chefs sample authentic Thai sauces to find their favorite. CurrySimple Gift Set, $39.99. www.currysimple.com"

Posted via email from The Official Blog of Mikey Moran

Proven Commerce Product "Social Sell"

2010-03-16T06:46:00.001-07:00

I am about ready to launch Proven Commerce's first round of products to help businesses market their products better on the Social Networking website Facebook.

The Concept

Late 2009 I was constructing different ideas to leverage the power of Social Media. Have you heard this before? I am sure as it is what most companies are currently trying to figure out. The use of Google Adwords has worked great from 2006 - 2008 but in 2009 the value started to increase to due the dramatically increased cost due to competition. This forced me to try and figure a way to market CurrySimple products better on Facebook using the increasing number of CurrySimple Fans. In doing so I realized I had come up with such a good idea that I should package it and offer it to businesses at an affordable price.

How did I determine it was a brilliant idea?

You always wonder if you really have created something that will be useful or needed. My way of determining whether or not Social Sell would be a brilliant ideas was simple. I cleared my head and thought about how I would sell the product to a business. Then I tried to sell it to myself. I am an impossible sell when it comes to paying for technology products, SEO, marketing ideas. So I asked myself... "Would you like to market your CurrySimple products, recipes and coupons within a Facebook application that allows them to become viral through your Fan page? I can offer you a fully customizable solution that allows you to easily do so at this $price." It was a no brainer! Of course! I thought about my monthly Adwords budget and how this had a one time cost that was 10% of that and a monthly maintenance cost less than 1%. How could I say no?

How it works!

Social Sell allows you to fully edit and customize the entire look of the application. Yes you can choose the text colors, create custom header/footer images, background image and so on. Then you choose what items you would like to upload into categories you can create. The items have the option to link over to a external website which is a great feature! It all starts with the first person that sends one of your products virtually to a friend. When the item is sent the product is placed on the receivers wall. Not only the receiver can see this but potentially the eyes of the receiver's 200 - 1000 friends. Now multiply those numbers by just 10 users sending just 1 item. Now that is powerful.

Example

Obviously I used CurrySimple as a test for this product. You can view the Virtual Thai Food application and see for yourself. I have put recipes, products and even coupons into the system. Sending virtual coupons to friends Facebook wall is very new and very exciting. People will see the beautiful recipe pictures and crave it. Or it is a great way to share a CurrySimple product that you love. People are using email less every day for communication so why not give them a communication tool for your products.

Conclusion

I am overwhelmingly excited about this product. If you are interested in more information please visit ProvenCommerce.com.

~Mikey Moran

Serial Entrepreneur

Social Media & eCommerce Consultant

Posted via email from The Official Blog of Mikey Moran

Social Networking Option - phpFox

2010-03-15T13:14:00.001-07:00

Want to create the next Facebook? Sure that does sound great but lets be a little more realistic.

How about a Social Networking website for your business? Hey that is a great idea!

Almost two years ago I came up with the idea of creating a Social Networking website for my Thai food brand CurrySimple. Why? I wanted to place for customers to be able to share recipes and cooking videos that revolved around CurrySimple. Previously I would have them email me photos and lists of ingredients and a paragraph about how to prepare the item. It would take me at least an hour to write the code for the layout of the new recipe page and post it. Enabling the customers to do that for me would be a huge time saver!

At the time the options for doing so with a tight budget were very slim. I opted to use the Ning platform to create iLoveCurrySimple. I hired a designer for about $700 and had it customized for my brand. I paid to have the website "Add Free" and of course my own domain name. Since launching it has been a hit! I love the fact customers upload their own content to the website. As the business grows the interaction will continue to grow as well.

Now in 2010 there are lot more options in regards to how to launch your own network. A solution I was looking at today is called phpFox. It is a downloadable product that you host on your own server. This could be more cost effective over time if you already have your own server. The solution is user friendly, fully customizable and highly expandable.

Features Include:

Administration - Admin Control Panel and User Group "powers" give site admins full control of their social network from the content that is added to the activity of what is going on behind the scenes.

Activity Feed - Activity feed keeps your members up-to-date with what their friends or the community with what they have recently been up to. Designed to work like Facebook's Live Feed.

CMS - The product is a CMS (Content Management System) at its core allowing our product to take on many shapes and forms, which we use to release our flagship social networking product phpFox.

Blogs - Members can share their thoughts and insights by writing blogs to share with the community.

Polls - Members can create polls for the entire community or for just a set of their friends.

Quizzes - Quizzes gives your users the ability to create tests for other members or just their set of friends.

This is just a small list of items it includes. Pricing starts at $99 and up to $299 depending on the feature set you choose.

Adding a Social Network to your businesses marketing plan may or may not be suitable. It really depends on the type of business you operate. Reviewing the option of creating one should be a must because of the cost verses the reward. There are so many tools to stay social with your business and phpFox is one you must consider.

~Mikey Moran

Social Media & eCommerce Consultant

Posted via email from The Official Blog of Mikey Moran

Apple Now Taking iPad Pre-Orders

2010-03-15T11:58:00.001-07:00

All the hype behind the Apple iPad is starting to become a reality. Apple has announced it has started taking pre-orders for the multiple versions of the iPad which include different hard drive sizes and the option for a 3G carrier. I am still not personally sold on the iPad because of the lack of common features that should be included. No USB port? Really! Steve Jobs will likely release an updated version with a USB port and make it seem like he just revolutionized the electronics industry. This is something that he does brilliantly. Think back to the iPhone that did not offer MMS until the 3GS version while every other phone had it. Just another reason to make consumers upgrade. This is a good business model if you can make it work as well as Apple has done.

According to an article on Mashable the iPad has already pre-sold about 150,000 units with a deliver date of April 3rd which is just a few weeks away. It will be interesting to see how the applications designed for the small screen of an iPhone look on the beautifully constructed iPad device. Many developers should be scrambling to update the resolution for this device.

The actual use of the iPad will be seen in creative places. I have may ideas on how to use it. The days of carrying an ugly notepad around will be over. Imagine the ability to obtain a physical customers name and email address that will be automatically entered into your database via WIFI or 3G. I have been using a notepad for customers to sign up for newsletters for years. I found there is about a 20% fail rate due to the handwriting of the person. Having a clean interface on an iPad will solve that problem by 99%. And who wouldn't want to sign up for something on this device? You might get people to sign up that may have hesitated otherwise just because they are curious about the iPad. Either way it will be beneficial. This is just one of the many new creative uses for the iPad. Because of it's sleek size and design it will be easily integrated into a lot of useful solutions.

~Mikey Moran

Social Media & Ecommerce Consultant

Posted via email from The Official Blog of Mikey Moran

Use your Facebook Fan Page to Ask Question

2010-03-15T09:11:00.001-07:00

I cant express the importance of a business to utilize the power of their Facebook Fan Page. One idea on how to get the most out of your businesses fan page is to ask your fans questions. I recently did this for the CurrySimple Fan Page and got some great results. As a business owner you will always try and figure out what source is working best to obtain customers. At this point you can focus on where to put more or less marketing dollars.

This is what I asked:

"CurrySimple is wondering how you found out about CurrySimple..? Google Ad? Friend? Family? Food Show? YouTube? iTunes? Search Online? Please let us know..!"

You will notice that I put some sources of where I know I advertise or can be easily found. It is also a reminder for where people can find information about your company. You will see I listed YouTube. Some people might have never known we have some great videos on YouTube and will watch them. If I just asked "CurrySimple is wondering how you found out about CurrySimple..?" I probably would have not had as good of a response.

Here is some of the feedback I have received so far:

Chris Dalessio - Friend

Cathy Crowder Corda - on line search... btw: We love your products!

Helen Langdon Hyatt - Metro Cooking and Entertaining Show in DC

Julia Schreuder - How to be a wok star website!! Eleanor Hoh!!

Marcia Brown - trade show - Southern Women's Show...and I LOVE CurrySimple! Wish someone in Charlotte would stock it!

Kody Cage - Amazon

Bruce Lager - Just cruising through Thai cooking sites on the net...

Sharon Zohar - A friend who had just attended a gourmet food expo where you had a table who realized that some of your products would be safe with regard to my food sensitivities.

Nancy Singer - Was googling for Thai Tea syrup.

Spencer Valli - Friend, and spread further ... Yummy.

Rani Krishnan - YouTube

Lisa Hudecek-Hagman - Google search for Thai foods

Skyler Forshage - searching for how to make Thai Tea. Found your extract and love it to death! Can't wait to order more stuff from ya

Stephanie DiGiovanni Shadix - would like to find you at PUBLIX! :)

This shows us that most of the places we focus our marketing attention to are working. From posting videos on YouTube, Food Shows and internet searches. Of course to hear word of mouth marketing from a "Friend" is the best the most powerful available. Companies work so hard on getting their customers to become their Fans but under utilize the power. Start engaging you customers with questions and make them interact with you.

~Mikey Moran

Social Media Consultant

Posted via email from The Official Blog of Mikey Moran

Social Media and Video

2010-03-09T03:56:00.001-08:00

There has been a lot of buzz as of late in regards to the power of social media and video. It is a powerful combination because when the two work together you can see dramatic results. I first started using videos in 2006 by making a very basic Thai Tea "How To" video. The quality is average but the results have been fantastic. It is currently (with moderate research) the most watched Thai Iced Tea video on the internet.

It was the first video I had ever published to Youtube and now has over 15,000 views. Not bad for something that was basically free to make.

Later in 2007 I shot about 15 cooking videos using two video cameras that had a cost of about $2,000 each. Along with some studio lighting ($400) My videos made a hug improvement in quality.

In 2009 and 2010 I switched to the basic FLIP video camera. Cost $200. The quality of the videos is amazing. I could imagine most small businesses that would like to implement video could get away with using the FLIP along with at least 1 studio light which could be found for about $100. Videos on you website will increase the time spent on the site and if done properly... CONVERSIONS!

Check out my videos for CurrySimple on Youtube.

http://www.youtube.com/currysimple

Need help getting started? Hire Me!

Posted via email from The Official Blog of Mikey Moran

Recognition by INC MAGAZINE

2010-03-07T20:11:00.001-08:00

"Create authentic testimonials. Mikey Moran, founder and CEO of Thai food brand Curry Simple, uses his Flip to ask customers what they think of his products, which include sauces made in Thailand and sold in the United States in stores such as Whole Foods. "The Flip works great for testimonials because of its small size,'' he says. "The smaller video cameras seem to be less intimidating for customers. People tend to freeze up with larger cameras but not with the cute, hand-sized Flip." Moran has abandoned his two "prosumer" video cameras that cost $2,000 each. His Flip Mino HD was $200."

Posted via email from The Official Blog of Mikey Moran

New Facebook Layout

2010-02-04T04:45:00.001-08:00

Have you seen the new Facebook layout? On 1.1.10 I logged in to see the debauchery from New Years Eve and noticed the new layout. I thought... this is nice! As time went on and discussing it with friends I noticed that not everyone has been updated. As a matter of fact I have yet to find anyone that has been updated. Interesting. After seeing my sisters account I decided to take a screen cap of my news feed and upload it to Facebook to ask if any of my other friends have received the update. Let's see what feedback i receive.

Posted via email from The Official Blog of Mikey Moran

Interview with Atlanta Gspots

2010-02-03T10:52:00.001-08:00

Interview with Atlanta Gspots

February 3: Mikey Moran
Serial entrepreneur! Owner & CEO of CurrySimple & various other businesses.
www.mikeymoran.com

1. What is your passion?

I have a passion for success! This is not just for business but all aspects of life. Although I do need to be somewhat successful in business as I told my mom I was going to buy her a Mercedes while driving by a dealership when I was six years old. She still holds me to it!

I am so fortunate for the opportunities that have been presented to me or that I have made with hard work. My vision for success is clear and I try to help others stay positive and reach their goals. As an entrepreneur I have had some of the best and surely the worst days in my life. My passion for success in health, friendships and relationships has helped me stay positive & cope with those bad days. You only live once. I would suggest you find your passion and don't let go!

2. What or who inspires you?

My inspiration comes from within others. The feeling I get when I create something that excites someone revitalizes my passion. There are also a few friends and family members that have shown me overwhelming support. That is you Tommy, Thippy, Tony, Jimna, Kerri and of course my MOM! This inspires me to do the same for others when I can. It is rewarding to be contacted by people that seek my guidance in trying to launch a business. I will give all my time and knowledge necessary to help them out. Pay it forward!

3. What profession, other than your current one, would you attempt?

I think I will always be a serial entrepreneur. When I think profession I think a job? I don't even remember how to get a job! If I see an opportunity to create something successful I will go for it. I try to bring my friends in with me to share the excitement of a new project. There really is not much that I would not try. Failing only yields knowledge. Most people never "go for it" and have a chance to fail. That is failing within itself.

4. Describe a turning point in your life (a crossroads that led you to follow your dream, for example)

At 14 I was diagnosed with Melanoma, the most dangerous type of skin cancer. Melanoma spreads quickly to other parts of the body and becomes very difficult to treat. I was fortunate it was found at an early stage where they could basically just dig a hole in my back. I would not be writing this today if my mom didn't make me go to the dermatologist that morning. So no matter what happens in my business and personal life, I am thankful every day for still being here with my family and friends. People complain about the smallest things and don't realize how bad it really could be. Understanding this has helped me in many aspects of my life. I am not afraid to go for my dreams!

5. What music do you listen to get motivated and passionate?

Akon! He makes songs that touch different types of emotions and makes me positive. His songs remind me of certain wild nights out in places from Atlanta to Bangkok. Listening to Akon makes me feel like I can take over the world. I am actually listening to him while writing this. Watch out world I am coming for you!!!

6. What is your favorite vacation spot?

Bangkok, Thailand. The city is amazing and the nightlife is out of control! The feeling of being on the other side of the world is life changing. The food, culture, and people are always an experience. I have made friends with managers, security and wait staff at some of the hottest nightclubs there. I try to stay away from most of the tourist spots and I am generally the only white american in the venues. I assure you a night out with me in Bangkok would be something to remember.

Posted via email from The Official Blog of Mikey Moran

Viral Loop - Book of the Week

2010-01-31T06:31:00.001-08:00

Ho things get viral is really interesting. I read a little about the book before choosing it and thought it was perfect for my current mindset.
Book reading tip - choose a book that is a hot topic for your current preferences. I am really big on social media markeing right now so I know I will enjoy this book more than if I was extreamly interested in SEO.

I dove into the first chapter with the first story being about the website Hot or Not. I remember spending hours rating pictures of girls years ago. I realized it was increadibly interesting to learn the background on this company. How a simple and fun idea had a 20 million dollar payout after just a few years. Inspiring and now I am ready for more!

Posted via email from The Official Blog of Mikey Moran

The Buried Life

2010-01-30T20:38:00.001-08:00

I love the MTV show "The Buried Life"... 100 things to do before you die.

The show is fun and a breath of fresh air for MTV. There are 4 guys that travel around checking off a list of items they want to do before they die. It has "The Real World" style filming and a great cast of 4. During their journeys they help others by asking people on the street what they would like to do before they die.

The concept for the show is brilliant and think everyone should be watching. You can visit The Buried Life and share what you would like to accomplish before you die as well. The website has a great design and is worth a look.

Posted via email from The Official Blog of Mikey Moran

Book Review - The Accidental Billionaired

2010-01-30T20:30:00.001-08:00

I was really excited to pick up another book by Ben Mezrich. Bringing Down the House is still one of my all time favorite books. The Accidental Billionaires was good and worth reading but was not the same caliber of some of his other books.

The first hundred pages were kinda slow but did quickly pick up afterwards. I guess you can make a story about a geeky (but brilliant) guy so exciting. The interesting part is how Facebook came about. It sometimes amazes me how I have used Facebook every single day for the past two years but had not really researched how it really got started.

The story portrayed Mark Zuckerberg as a brilliant designer (of computer programs) but also a shrewd business man that hid behind his geeky and quirky personality. I sometimes compared the ethics of his business decisions to what I would do. Maybe I care too much about my friends and the importance of my word and supporting others. Will this eventually hold me back in reaching success? I am not sure but would not trade my ethical behavior for success.

There are some good lessons to learn in the book and think that the book will do well because of the success of Facebook. I expect a movie to be out with the story as well as Facebook going public in the next couple years.

4 out of 5 stars

Posted via email from The Official Blog of Mikey Moran

Porsche Panamera VIP Party in Ferrari

2010-01-28T15:36:00.001-08:00

This was Atlanta's event of the year in 2009! It is not every day you sit and have dinner with a billionaire (not name dropping) amongst Atlanta's other elite society.

The best part may have been showing up to a Porsche event in a convertible Yellow Ferrari 430. Turn your speakers up!

The cop wanted us to park somewhere else away from the house... Are you serious..! No way..! So he radioed down and told them a "Porsche" was coming down...LOL Ferrari and Porsche have been rivals since the beginning of time. We just hoped the CEO of Porsche North America (who of course was in attendance) didn't see us. Any day cruising in a Ferrari is a good one. Enjoy!

Posted via email from The Official Blog of Mikey Moran

iPad - I HATE YOU!

2010-01-27T19:00:00.001-08:00

How can I say that..???

OMG!!! Did he really say that..???

YES!!!

OK I don't really HATE the iPad. There are probably only a handful of stuff in the world that I can say I HATE (with all caps). Osama bin I KILL YOU... TRAFFIC... blah blah blah...

So today Steve Jobs unveiled the iPad in San Fran with great success. Supposedly the crowd roared with glee at the $500 price. I still can't figure out how this is $500 and the iPhone is $500... But it doesn't even matter as I will never own either (ANDROID).

Ranting... so why do I HATE the iPad..?

Well it is like that popular song that is played on the road every other song. It doesn't matter how good the song is you just get sick of hearing about it. Because I am on the interweb all day due to my current project all I have seen for the whole day on Twitter, Facebook and headline of any network that offers news is the iPad. People are already comparing the name to woman's fem products... I even saw a iPad mock up product box for a woman's fem product... Steve Jobs is a master of creating buzz for everything he does. That is great... But he is so damn good I will have to hear about it for months before and after the release.

OK feel better now...

Posted via email from The Official Blog of Mikey Moran

Your Facebook BLOCK LIST

2010-01-27T14:42:00.001-08:00

Do often find yourself "Blocking" people on Facebook? I do! That unwanted request to an event at a nightclub that you have already received 4 other notifications about. Wait... who is this person... they are not even my friend..? BLOCK!!!

It is nearly impossible for Facebook to stop this type of over promotion. Maybe a specially scripted algorithm or some other idea from Mark Zuckerberg could solve the problem. Is there not yet a class in High School about Facebook etiquette..?

Facebook I still love you and will use you... I know it is not your fault...

It's not Facebook that kills Facebook... It's users that KILL Facebook...

~Mikey Moran

Posted via email from The Official Blog of Mikey Moran

Work for Jason Calacanis

2010-01-27T14:11:00.001-08:00

Are you thinking about being an Entrepreneur?

A great way to start is working for one. How about one of the best!

Jason Calacanis is looking for help with the Open Angel Forum, TechCrunch 50 and my favorite Podcast This Week in Startups. Most of the job's tasks are nothing too challenging but you will learn more than 4 years in college. You have to live in Santa Monica and be willing to work for $30 - $40k. If you are looking for something new this could be the opportunity for you. The amount of information you could soak in from Jason and Tyler makes me ALMOST want to do it. Instead I will keep working on my current project that I might have to try and pitch at the next Tech Crunch awards.

Posted via email from The Official Blog of Mikey Moran

Twitter Strategy

2010-01-26T21:06:00.001-08:00

An easy way to get some Twitter love is to offer promotions for mentioning your brand on Twitter. In the CurrySimple newsletter today I offered three $50 gift certificates for anyone that posted links to their favorite recipes or products on CurrySimple.com. In just a few hours the links started coming in (you can search @YourName) to find people tweeting about you.

Links from Twitter are not that powerful for SEO purposes but if your offer gets viral you may generate some serious traffic in a short amount of time. You can also expect some extra twitter followers as well.

Give it a try and get social!

Follow my blog @MikeyMoranBlog

Posted via email from The Official Blog of Mikey Moran

CurrySimple - Dominating Social Media

2010-01-26T20:57:00.001-08:00

I am obviously a huge believer in the power of social media. My Thai food brand CurrySimple has been very successful communicating and connecting with customers. It seems many small businesses either focus on Facebook Fans or Twitter Followers. I will have to admit I currently focus more on the Fan page because it is much more visual.

After sending out our bi-weekly newsletter I did a Twitter promotion and a little investigating about my competition and their role in the social media. It was interesting to see that CurrySimple is "CRUSHING IT!!!" relative to it's competitors. My new Fan Page promotion tool that is almost ready for testing will elevate CurrySimple's status to the moon!

As of 1.26.10 CurrySimple has 1,084 Fans! Will keep this updated...

Posted via email from The Official Blog of Mikey Moran

Featured in Food Entreprenuer Series

2010-01-26T20:49:00.001-08:00

A few months back I had the opportunity to be featured in an Entrepreneur Series on the blog of Sramana Mitra who is a writer for Forbes.

Food Entrepreneurs: Michael Moran's CurrySimple

Posted via email from The Official Blog of Mikey Moran

Episode #2 Interview with Dean D'Angelo of Garlic Clove Foods

2010-01-25T15:23:00.001-08:00

Episode No. 2 by Mikey Moran
Download now or listen on posterous

Ep2GarlicCloveFoods.mp3 (13923 KB)

I had the great pleasure of interviewing Dean D'Angelo today. Dean is the co-founder of Garlic Clove Foods which launched just over a year ago. I have tried their products and think they are excellent. The two key ingredients to their products are Bulgur and Quinoa. Commonly found in middle eastern cooking, bulgur is high in fiber, protein and iron. Quinoa is packed with amino acids, fiber and iron.

Dean and Any wanted to offer a food product that is healthy as well as quick and easy. So many people in the US go out to eat because of the difficulty and time it takes to cook a healthy meal at home. Garlic Clove Foods helps solve this problem.

Enjoy the interview and I will try to do a follow up with them in about 6 months to see how business is coming along.

Posted via email from The Official Blog of Mikey Moran

Book Review - The Social Media Marketing Book

2010-01-25T14:11:00.001-08:00

It was a quick read with some aside pointers. I had read a review on Amazon.com before purchasing stating that it was a great resource from a beginner to a pro. Although informative I would only recommend the book for beginners in social media.

The actual length of the book could have been 25% shorter with a better layout. I recall one page with a tiny photo and the rest was just white space.

It is a quick read but might go elsewhere for more detailed info.

Posted via email from The Official Blog of Mikey Moran

Book of the Week - The Accidental Billionaires

2010-01-25T14:04:00.001-08:00

This weeks book is The Accidental Billionaire by Ben Mezrich. I am excited for this one as Ben is one of my favorite authors. Will do a mid book update!

Posted via email from The Official Blog of Mikey Moran

Zoom H2

2010-01-25T14:00:00.001-08:00

The Zoom H2 is a great recording device that I have wanted for some time now. I have a really nice podcasting setup at my house but it seems to be a little much for a quick episode. When I found out my friend and owner of Peach Pod Studios was selling his I had to jump at the opportunity to pick it up.

So far I have recorded 2 podcasts with the Zoom. It is sweet! Easy to use with just enough features. The sound quality is great and would be considered amazing at this price.

Posted via email from The Official Blog of Mikey Moran

Episode #1 - Mikey Moran Podcast Introduction

2010-01-24T20:19:00.001-08:00

Download now or listen on posterous

Episode 1.mp3 (9266 KB)

Welcome to EP#1 of the Mikey Moran podcast!

Posted via email from The Official Blog of Mikey Moran

Puerto Rico Trip

2010-01-24T14:48:00.001-08:00

I started off 2009 (Yes it is currently 2010) with a fun trip to Puerto Rico with about 15 friends. Atlanta was hit with a wave of cold weather while we were gone so the beautiful beaches and 90 degree weather was even that much better.

The beaches are beautiful with warm clear water. Women in Puerto Rico are beautiful despite the feeling they are not big fans of American men. Why? I would guess the tourists that visit from the huge cruise ships come into town and act like idiots. Actually... I am sure of it!

We spent an afternoon at the Fort San Felipe del Morro. It is a sixteenth century citadel that is in the northwestern-most point of Puerto Rico. It was amazing! Put it on the list of sites to see if you ever visit PR.

Best nightlife spot was Club Brava at the El San Juan Hotel & Casino. The place was swanky with a great sound system. We ended up getting a double VIP section which included a stripper pole. Bottle after bottle and we partied all night!

The food in PR is sub par relative to many other places that I have traveled. Customer service is lacking in most places as well.

Travel Tip - You can rent houses near the beach that are still in great areas for a lot less than the hotels.

See and download the full gallery on posterous

Posted via email from The Official Blog of Mikey Moran

White Water Rafting

2010-01-24T14:27:00.001-08:00

Do you have a list of things you want to do? Well it doesn't matter if you do or don't but consider going white water rafting. A few hours outside of Atlanta a large group of us went to the Ocoee River in Tennessee to hit some class 3 and class 4 rapids.

It is a must do for anyone looking for a little adventure! It is really hard to describe the rush of the rapids. It was great that we did it in the summer as trying to do it in the cold water would not be as rewarding. If you get a chance... give white water rafting a try..!

See and download the full gallery on posterous

Posted via email from The Official Blog of Mikey Moran

Wibiya Toolbar

2010-01-24T13:11:00.001-08:00

Today I installed a FREE Wibiya Toolbar on CurrySimple.com, CurrySimple.net and iLoveCurrySimple.com. Wibiya is an easy way to help connect your websites visitors with your social networking sites. I have used some other javascript toolbars but none have been as customizable as Wibiya.

The integration of YouTube is beautiful! It prompts a shadowbox which your videos can play. The great thing about this is that your visitor stays on your website while doing so. The integration of Facebook and Twitter work very well. It should help increase the amount of Twitter followers and Facebook fans. The toolbar sits at the bottom of the browser window and does not distract you from the pages content.

Adding the toolbar to your website is easy. A simple line of javascript will have it on your page in about a minute. A feature that I found very useful was a check box that allows the toolbar and it's integrations to be on top of the webpage. Another toolbar I used was partially blocked by the Flash embedded content on my page. This made it more difficult to use and not as professional.

MikeyMoran.com is hosted by Posterous which does not yet allow javascript. As soon as it does there will a Wibiya toolbar on the bottom of this page!

Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars!

Posted via email from The Official Blog of Mikey Moran

Ben Mezrich - Author Favorite

2010-01-24T12:55:00.001-08:00

I just picked up a copy of The Accidental Billionaires by Ben Mezrich which will be my "Book of the Week" next week. Ben Mezrich was born in 1969 and graduated from Harvard University in 1991. I first found out about Ben after reading his NY Times best seller "Bringing Down the House" which was a story about how MIT students figured out how to mathematically win in Black Jack. The book is still one of my favorites despite the fact that I am not really big into gambling and think Vegas is OK.

Since reading Bringing Down the House I have read some of his other titles and highly recommend them all. My two other favorites are Ugly Americans which was about an assistant securities trader and Busting Vegas which was similar to Bringing Down the House but with more advanced gambling techniques.

Ben's writing style puts you in the driver seat of the stories. All of his books are worth reading!

Posted via email from The Official Blog of Mikey Moran